Rotary engine.



No. 630,693'. Patented Aug. a, |399. .1. T. HAYs & G. L. DEPUY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application tiled July 22, 1898.) (No Model.)

. /v/ygofs C i F @mm i ff -f Y sy l I Arron/VHS.

1H: New: Perz'ns ca., momuwo.. wuHmsTou. u. c.

*UNITED STATES PATENT GEF/ICE.

JAMES THOMAS HAYS AND 'GILBERT LEEEvRE DEPUY, OE GARLAND, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS OE ONEAEIETH To THOMAS SLATER WALKER,

OE DALLAS OOUNT'Y, TEXAS.

ROTARY ENolNl-z.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettera Patent No. 630,693, dated August s, 1899.

YApplication hei .my 22,1898. serrano. 686,597. dummer) To all whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that We, JAMES THOMAS HAYS and GILBERT LEFEVRE DEPUY, of Garland, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description. j

The object ofthe invention is to provide a new andv improved rotaryv en gine which is simple and durable in construction, very eective in operation, andarrangedtogutilize the motive agent to the fullest advantage.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully describedhereinafter and then pointed out in the claims. Y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional eleva; tion of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, and Fig. lv3 is a face `view of the cutoff valve.

The improvedengine is provided with a cylf inder A, inwhich is mountedtoturn a piston B, secured on a shaft C, mounted to rotate in A suitable bearings held in the cylinder-heads -A A2, as is plainly illustrated ,in Fig. l. On the shaft C is secured a {1y-wheel D and a pulley E, to be connected by belt Vwith other machinery for transmitting the rotary motion imparted to the piston B, as hereinafter-more.

fully described.

The piston B is concentric to the cylinder A, the peripheral surface of the piston coming in contact with a packing-A4,held inan abutment A3, preferably formed at'the top ofthe cylinder, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 2, In

the piston B are formed diametricallyopposite slots B', in which are vitted to slide the piston-heads B2, each carrying at its outer end a blockBS, engaging the inner surface of the -cylinder A and thateof the packing A4 when passin g the abutment. The block B3 is mounted to rock in the end of the piston-head B2, so as to readilyaccommodate itself Ato the shape of the abutment As when passing from, the concentric surface of the cylinder to and over the curved surface of the abutment, as will 5o be `readily understood by reference io Fig. 2. The piston-head B2is pressed outward to hold the block B2 in frictional contact with the inner surface ofthe cylinder, as described, by means of a spring F, resting on a bar G, formed 5 5 at its ends with trunnions G', extending through radial slots B4, Vformed in the piston B, intoA cam-grooves A5, formed on th`e inner faces of the cylinder-heads A' and A2, so that when the piston B is turned the piston-heads 6o are moved inward and outward to hold their blocks B3 in frictional contact with the inner surface of the cylinder and the abutment thereof. By having a yielding connection between the bars G and the piston-heads it is evident that the latter can readily yield to insure an easy passage of the blocks over the inner surface of the abutment and at the same time produce a sufficiently tight joint between the contacting surfaces to prevent 7o leakage of steam from one side of the pistonhead tothe other.

Each piston-head B2 is provided on its sides with packing-strips H, pressed in contact with .the sides of, thepiston B by springs H', Set in 75 the corresponding head B2, (see Fig. 1,) it being understood that the packing-plates are held in position on the piston-heads by pins engagingthe recessescontaining the springs H','as will be readily understood by reference 8o to Fig, 1.

-Into the cylinder A and on opposite sides of the abutment A3 open the ports a and b, leadingfrom a steam-chest J, secured to or formed on the cylinder above the abutment. 8 5 A slide-valve K is fitted to slide in the steamchest J and has its valve-stem K connected by a link K2 with 'a hand-lever K3 under the control of the operator for shifting the slide-valve K to reverse the engine, as hereinafter more 9o fully described. The slide-valve K is formedy in .its bottom with ports o and d, adapted t@ register with the ports a and b, respectively, for forming theA exhaust, it being understood that only one portie in register at a time with the corresponding cylinder-port. Thus, as Ishownin Fig.2, the port c is cut off from the port a, which latter is now the steam-inlet port, while the other ports Z) and d are in register with each other and form the exhaustports. One inner side of the slide-valve K opens at all times into an exhaust-pipe L, so that the exhaust-steam passing from the cylinder into the slide-valve can readily escape through said exhaust-pipe L. A spring K4 presses on the slide-valve K to hold its open side in firm contact with thehead A', carrying the exhaust-pipe L. Steam is thus prevented from leaking from the steam-chest into the valve, or vice versa.

Into the steam-chest J opens a channel e, registering at intervals with segmental slots or ports O' O2, formed in a rotary cut-olf valve O, secured to the main shaft C and revolving in a casing A6, formed or secured on the head A2 of the cylinder. A steam-supply pipe P opens into the casing A6 directly opposite the channel e, so that when the cut-olii' valve O registers with one of its ports O or O2 with the channel e and the pipe P then live steam can pass into the steam-chest J and from the latter through the open ports a or b into the corresponding side of the cylinder.

Now when the several parts are in the position illustrated in the drawings live steam passes from the steam-supply pipe through the port O2 into the channel e and to the steamchest J, from which steam passes to the port d into the cylinder at the left-hand side of the abutment A3. The steam thus passing in the cylinder acts on the piston-head B2 in front of the port a to turn the piston B in the direction of the arrow a', the live steam being cut off at the time this piston-head reaches a lowermost position, as then the portl O2 is out of register with the pipe P and the channel e. The other piston-head B2 now passes the abutment A3 and the port a, and whenv this has taken place the port O commences toregister with the pipe P and channel e to again supply the steam-chest J with live steam. A second impulse is now given to the piston B in the direction of the arrow a by the steam acting on the second piston-head B2.

One or more grooves c may be formed in the curved inner surface of the abutment-piece A3 at each side of the packing-block A4 to transmit a limited quantity of live steam to the side of the piston B2 that is nearest the arrow d in Fig. 2, and thusincrease pressure of the expanding steam that will act on the nearest face of the other piston-head B2.

When it is desired to reverse the engine, the operator moves the hand-lever K3 in the direction of the arrow b', (see Fig. 2,) so as to connect the port a with the port c to form the exhaust, while the port (Z is out off from the port Z) and the latter opens into the steamchest J. Live steam can now pass from the chest J into the cylinder at the ri ght-hand side of the abutment A3, and the steam pressing on the corresponding piston-head turns the piston in the inverse direction of the arrow a'.

In order to prevent leakage of steam between the cylinder-heads and the piston, the

inner faces of the cylinder-heads are provided with annular grooves A7, adapted to receive the water of condensation to prevent leakage of steam. A similar arrangement is in the casin g A6 for providing opposite faces thereof with annular grooves A8, and like grooves O3 are formed in the faces of the cut-olf valve O. As the grooves fill with water of condensation they form a packing for preventing the escape of steam.

It is evident that the steam-spaces below the abutment A3 may be changed in area by increasing or decreasing the curvature ofthe inner face of said abutment. Furthermore, the grooves A7 may be proportioned to suit the requirements of service, and thus insure efficiency in operation of the engine as relates to water packing the piston at each side thereof.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fixed abutment, a piston mounted to turn concentrically therein and having peripheral contact with the abutment, pistonheads fitted to slide in the said piston, trunnion-bars having yielding connection with the piston-heads and engaging cam-grooves on the heads of the said cylinder, a steamchest connected by ports with the cylinder on opposite sides of the abutment, a reversingvalve in the steam-chest and a rotary cut-olf valve secured on the piston-shaft and controlling the supply of live steam to the steamchest, substantially as shown and described.

2. A rotary engine comprising a'cylinder having a fixed abutment, a piston mounted to turn concentrically therein and having peripheral contact with the abutment, pistonheads fitted to slide in the said piston, trunnion-bars having yielding connection with the piston-heads and engaging cam-grooves on the heads of the said cylinder, a steamchest on the cylinder above the abutment connected by ports with said cylinder on opposite sides of said abutment, a reversing-valve in said steam-chest and under the control of the operator, and a valve for regulating the supply of steam to the steam-chest, substantially as shown and described.

3. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder having a fixed abutment, a piston mounted to turn concentrically in the cylinder and contacting with the abutment, piston-heads sliding in the piston and having on their outer ends blocks mounted to rock, trunnion-bars having yielding connection with the pistonheads and working in grooves in the cylinder-heads, a steam-chest connected by ports with the cylinder on opposite sides of the abutment, a sliding reversing-valve in the steamchest and provided with ports in its bottom, said valve being always in communication with the exhaust-pipe, a valve-casing through which the piston-shaft projects, a connection between the said valve-Casin g and the steam- IOO IIO

chest, and a rotary valve mounted in the said valve-casin g on the piston-shaft and provided with segmental slots or ports, substantially as described.

4. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fixed abutment, a piston mounted to turn concentrically in the cylinder and contacting with the abutment, sliding pistonheads mounted in the piston, a steam-chest connected with the cylinder by ports on op.-

posite sides of the abutment, a sliding reversing-valve in the steam-chest and provided with two ports in its bottom, said valve being at all times in communication with the exhaust-pipe,avalveeasing secured to one head of the cylinder and connected with the steamchest, and a rotary valve mounted on the piston-shaft in the said casing and provided with segmental slots or ports, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having a iixed abutment, and ports, one on each side of the abutment, a piston mounted to turn concentrically in the cylinder, and sliding piston-heads mounted in the piston, of a steam-chest above the ports of the cylinder, an exhaust-pipe connected with the steam-chest, a hollow slide-valve in the steam-chest and provided With two ports in its bottom, and with an opening in the side next to the side of the chest into which the exhaust-pipe opens, and a spring for holding the valve in contact with the side of the steamchest carrying the exhaust-pipe,substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with a fixed abutment, ports leading from the cylinder on opposite sides of the abutment, and grooves on the inner surface and leading from the said ports, a rotary piston in the cylinder, and provided with sliding piston-heads, a steam-chest on the cylinder, a hollow reversing-valve in said chest having one side communicating with the exhaust and provided with ports in its bottom adapted to alternately register with the ports of the cylinder, and cut-off Valve for regulating the supply of steam to the steam-chest, substantially as described.

JAMES THOMAS HAYS. GILBERT LEFEVRE DEPUY. Witnesses:

R. C. WYATT, G. W. CRossMAN. 

